Briton Richard Burns has won this year's Rally of Britain, the final round of the world rally championship, and has become one of only a handful of drivers who have won the event consecutively.

Burns snares championship

Briton Richard Burns has won this year's Rally of Britain, the final round of the world rally championship, and has become one of only a handful of drivers who have won the event consecutively.

Driving a Subaru Impreza, he took the lead on the second day of the three-day event and forged ahead as his rivals fell foul of the slippery Welsh forests and mountain roads.

The win gave Burns the runner-up position in the world championship standings behind Finland's Tommi Makinen.

Makinen, who has yet to win the British event, retired at the end of the 19th stage with engine trouble while running fifth.

Veteran Juha Kankkunen made it a one-two finish for Subaru, while fellow-Finn Harri Rovanpera finished third for the new Spanish Seat team, equalling its best result for the season.

Belgian Bruno Thiry, given a one-off drive by Skoda after being released by Subaru this season, was fourth place, giving that team its best result in its first full world championship season.

Former champion Colin McRae  and Burns's British rival  crashed his Ford Focus out of the event on Monday.

Toyota bowed out of world championship rallying with all three of its works cars retiring; Frenchman Didier Auriol, who had been in the running for the runner-up championship spot, retired on the second to last special stage with a broken radiator in his Corolla WRC.